Dead Tree Removal in Joliet, IL

Dead tree removal is a job that gets harder the longer it waits. A tree that died last year can usually be climbed, rigged and taken down like any other. A tree that has stood dead for several summers in Joliet's heat and freeze cycles is a different problem: the wood dries, cracks and decays, limbs snap off when a rope is tied to them, and a climber may not be able to trust the trunk at all. That is when a lift or crane becomes the only safe option, and the price goes up with it. If you have a tree that leafed out poorly this year or not at all, it is worth having someone look at it now.

Emerald ash borer and Joliet's ash trees

Ash was planted heavily in Chicago-area yards and parkways, and emerald ash borer has been killing it across northern Illinois for years. The beetle's larvae feed under the bark, cutting off the tree's water and nutrient flow, and in an infested area nearly all untreated ash are expected to die within about ten years. Signs to look for:

• Thinning leaves and dead branches at the top of the crown
• Pale patches on the trunk where woodpeckers have stripped bark to get at larvae
• Small D-shaped exit holes in the bark
• S-shaped, winding tunnels under loose bark
• Clusters of new shoots sprouting from the trunk low down

Dead ash is known for becoming brittle quickly. The ash removed early are the easy ones.

Other dead and dying trees we see

Not every dead tree is an ash. Silver maples on older lots often decay from old pruning wounds and storm breaks. Spruce in subdivision yards decline from needle diseases and drought stress. Red oaks can die from oak wilt within a single season, sometimes within weeks of the first wilting leaves. Trees whose roots were cut for a driveway, sewer line or addition can decline slowly for years. Each of those has its own warning signs, and part of our visit is telling you what likely killed the tree and whether the trees near it are at risk.

Judging a hazard tree

A dead or dying tree is a hazard when it could hit something if it fails. A dead tree at the back of a large lot, leaning away from everything, may be fine as wildlife habitat for a while. The same tree over a bedroom, a garage, a sidewalk or a neighbor's yard is not. We look at:

• How much of the tree is dead and how sound the trunk and base are
• Fungus, cavities, cracks and loose bark
• What the tree, or its biggest limbs, would hit
• Whether the tree can still be climbed and rigged safely

If the job needs a formal risk assessment, for example for an HOA or an insurance question, ask about having an ISA Certified Arborist with the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification evaluate it.

Removing it safely

A sound dead tree is taken down much like a live one, in sections with pieces lowered. A brittle one is approached differently. We limit how much weight hangs from any one limb, use a lift instead of climbing when the trunk is questionable, and sometimes bring in a crane so no one has to be in the tree at all. Ash wood from your yard should be burned locally or chipped, not carried to a cabin or a campground, since moving firewood spreads pests.